The JET 12in. Planer/Jointer gives you both a jointer and planer so you don't have to choose - you can have both. This versatile machine features quick changeover between jointing and planing functions, an extra-large aluminum extruded fence with centered controls for quick adjustments, a built-in dust chute capable of handling both planing and jointing operations, and a powerful 3 HP induction motor that can handle the toughest lumber. Best of all, the fence can stay put when changing over func

I’ve had this unit for 2 years now and my buyers remorse has increased greatly. JET initially replaced the locking pins, jointed fence, and guard arm free of charge under warranty because mine were damaged in shipping. Initially, this satisfied me and after getting everything aligned I began using the machine.

JOINTING:In use, the fence has enough play in it that squaring it at one point results in a 2 to 3 degree error at another. It’s simply not flat or true. The aluminum fence also flexes when jointing thick or heavy stock. As another user stated I also wish it came farther forward to allow me to edge joint on the front end of the blades where they get the least wear. I do enjoy the smaller footprint of the machine, but the infeed and outfeed tables aren’t long enough to joint anything longer than 6 ft reliably. When jointing an 8 ft board you really need two people and a lot of downward pressure to keep the wood from falling off the end of the machine. About the only thing I like about this machine is the 12 inch jointing capacity for shorter stock.

PLANING:I used to have a Dewalt 735 planer. In fact I wish I still did. I have the straight knife JJP-12 and it only has 1 fixed feed rate of 20 fpm. I experience nasty tearout on the faces of even straight grained lumber. I mostly plane red oak and even with careful attention to grain direction and light passes the tearout is unavoidable. The Dewalt has two speeds and much finer results. Also, taking too light of a pass on the JET leaves teeth marks from the feed roller behind. Now, after two years of light use the feed rollers don’t seem to be working properly either. I have to push or pull the wood to assist it through. I’ve already cleaned and checked the rollers, so my next step is to try and increase the feed roller tension and then call JET to see if their 5 year warranty is worth a hoot. If you consider buying this machine, think long and hard about getting the spiral cutter version for two reasons: the feed rate is 12 fpm instead of 20, and hopefully the spiral head will alleviate tearout. Just be warned jointing operations will still be hindered by the shorter wing tables anyways. For the cost of the spiral machine you’d be better off with a grizzly 12 inch jointed and a separate 15 inch planer.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:I’ve received 3 of these machines so far and none of them have been satisfactory. I will update this review if JET support manages to resolve my issues.

I ordered a JJP-12 from Amazon on 9/8/2015. It arrived on 9/18/2015 and the LEFT table locking shaft was sheared off and broken. I contacted Amazon and they ordered a replacement unit.

The second JJP-12 was ordered on 9/18/2015. It arrived on 9/29/2015 and again the LEFT table locking shaft was sheared off and broken. I contacted Amazon again and they ordered another replacement unit.

The third JJP-12 was ordered on 9/29/2015. It arrived on 10/6/2015 and upon initial inspection both table locking shafts were intact. I signed for the order and removed the remainder of the sides of the crate for further inspection. When locking the jointer table down, the left side required very little resistance to lock down, and the right side took considerably more effort (roughly 10-15 lbs of force). After locking the right side of the jointer table down I heard a clunk and the table locking shaft had sheared off. I then opened the jointer and inspected both table locking shafts and discovered that not only had the right pin sheared off, but the left pin had been bent which is why it required very little force to lock down. After inspecting the rest of the machine thoroughly, the fence has a dent in it that won’t allow boards to pass by it smoothly, there were several loose bolts in various places on the unit, and the fit and finish on the paint is quite lacking as well. There are also miscellaneous light scratches on various painted surfaces that were not in contact with the shipping crate at all. I’m mystefied as to how they were scratched, because the only time they could have been scratched was during assembly and crating. For $2,000+ I expect a product that arrives in NEW condition. I’m currently waiting JET support to call me back so I can decide whether to return this on to Amazon as well, or wait for replacement parts and just live with the poor quality of the paint/scratches on this unit. I still haven’t even begun checking to see if the tables are coplaner, knives are aligned, and planar drive belt and functionality is all working. In fact, I’m scared to check for fear of further disappointment.

In my experience with each of these 3 machines thus far, the table locking shafts have a great amount of deflection (from 1/8″ to 3/8″) when the jointer top is locked down. All 3 machines exhibited this behavior and all 3 machines had defective pins that broke. This is either…

One week in, so far so good. The unit was rock solid when delivered, had to make a minor adjustment to the fence stops. Other than that it was ready to go. I have this on a PM-2500 stand with two pieces of 3/4″ plywood as supports – my shop is too small for each machine to have its own spot. First time through was with a piece of walnut, 5/4 x 6″ x 5ft – edged and planed beautifully. If you work with wood often enough you’ll be happy with this unit, purchasing rough material at a lumberyard. I’m not going to say it will pay for itself anytime soon, but the results are far superior to what you would purchase at a big box. Not to mention milling rough lumber is a big part of the allure of the hobby as far as I’m cocerned.

Assembly was straight-forward – basically removing plastic wrap, cleaning the tables and adding the safety guard. You’ll also have to provide a plug – not unusual for a 220+ volt machine. This thing is a heavyweight to move as well, tipping the scales at about 500lbs. Get a friend, preferably someone in shape, to help you handle this.

Couple small items of note – the bolt/set-screw for the planar table wheel was lying in the bottom of the crate. Very strange and I’m glad it was there because I hunted through the box of hardware and around the floor for a while looking for it. The other thing is the guard. Don’t get me wrong, it functions very well. However, when you’re edge-jointing you’ll want to move the fence in and out occasionally to balance the wear on the knives. If you’re jointing with the fence moved forward (toward the operator), the sliding guard obstructs the operators path when moving along the table – would be nice if this was a telescoping mechanism of some sort.

Amazon was, of course, Amazon – great delivery schedule, right on time. Delivered on the day I requested – driver brought it into my garage. I highly recommend this machine and I highly recommend purchasing from Amazon.

I must say, the shipping company was superb. Delivery right into my garage and 10 days early! As others have stated, the crate material was a bit flimsy, but it all arrived with no damage. Setup and adjustment of the tables and blades was not fun I must say. But now I know how it works, it should go quicker next time (if needed). The tables are not perfectly flat as they should be for this price, but are within their tolerances, so… I am still learning how to properly joint boards before moving on to the planer function. I just purchased a blade setting jig that should help make that task quicker. During my use, the machine runs a lot quieter than my previous Grizzly planer did and has a smooth accurate cut. Very easy to switch over modes as well.